The death toll from a truck bombing in Mogadishu is now over 300, Major General Muhoozi Kainerugaba, Uganda’s Senior Presidential Adviser for Special Operations has condoled with the victims of Somalia’s deadliest attack in a decade.
The toll has steadily risen since Saturday, when the blasts – for which no organisation has claimed responsibility – struck at two busy junctions in the heart of the city.
“Condolences to our brothers and sisters in Somalia who lost so many innocents in Al Shabaab’s latest criminal bombing in Mogadishu,” Major General Muhoozi said through a tweet.
Condolences to our brothers and sisters in Somalia who lost so many innocents in Al Shabaab’s latest criminal bombing in Mogadishu.
— Muhoozi Kainerugaba (@mkainerugaba) October 16, 2017
His father, President Museveni as well in a Twitter condolence message to the “people of Somalia”, said: “Uganda strongly condemns the cowardly attacks in Mogadishu that left hundreds dead.”
Police said a truck bomb exploded outside the Safari Hotel at the K5 intersection, which is lined with government offices, restaurants and kiosks. Two hours later, a separate blast struck the Medina district.
Uganda was the first to deploy troops under AMISOM into Somalia in March 2007 to fight al shabab. The Ugandan contingent remains the largest contingent in AMISOM with 6,223 troops based in Sector 1 which comprises of Banadir (Mogadishu), Middle and Lower Shabelle regions. Until now, Uganda has deployed 12 battle groups into the Mission area. The recently deployed Battle Group 12 joined their Burundian counterparts in Baidoa.
